Your 39th Week

1. Breathing is now rhythmical, with your baby making around 40 breathing movements every minute.

2. The baby is so low down in your pelvis that you have probably exchanged discomfort in your upper abdominal area for pressure on your bladder.

3. At 39 weeks the average crown to heel length is 19.1 in (48.6 cm) and the average weight is 6.3 lb (3 kg).

4. The head may be covered with hair, a few wispy strands-or no hair at all.

5. The eye is large and well formed, although its neural networks are not yet sophisticated enough for the baby to focus. Vision in newborns remains poor for a few weeks after birth while the eye continues to develop.

Know the signs that mean labor is really about to start. You may have some false alarms, so don't hesitate to call your doctor for advice and reassurance. Excitement will be competing with nerves-and that goes for your partner as well. No one can predict how labor is going to turn out, but before the big day it's helpful to agree on what your partner's role should ideally be.